USA27 January, 20262 min read
Chris Madel Quits Minnesota Governor Race, Blasts Trump’s ICE Raids as 'Unmitigated Disaster'
Chris Madel withdrew from the Minnesota Republican gubernatorial race Madel publicly condemned ICE home raids as unconstitutional and an unmitigated disaster
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Minnesota governor campaign exit
Minneapolis attorney Chris Madel abruptly ended his Republican campaign for Minnesota governor after posting an almost 11-minute video saying he could not remain in a party that supports what he called "national Republicans' stated retribution." In that video and in coverage across outlets, Madel criticized the federal immigration deployment in the Twin Cities, Operation Metro Surge, as "an unmitigated disaster," and said the operations have left many, particularly people of color, "living in fear." His exit narrows an already crowded GOP field and came as calls grew for probes of federal immigration tactics after two recent fatal shootings tied to immigration enforcement.
Madel's legal ties
Madel's public break with national Republicans was complicated by his prior legal work for federal immigration enforcement agents. Multiple outlets reported that Madel provided pro bono legal advice to an ICE agent accused in an earlier fatal shooting, and that as of reporting no criminal charges or civil suits had been filed in that case. Madel defended the principle of counsel even as he condemned Operation Metro Surge, saying "justice requires excellent legal representation" when discussing his representation of an officer.
Reasons for Madel's withdrawal
Madel explicitly cited two recent fatal encounters involving federal agents—the Jan. 7 shooting of Renee Good and the later killing of Alex Pretti—as factors in his decision to leave the race.
“His announcement—made amid Republican calls to probe federal immigration tactics after a U.S. Border Patrol agent fatally shot Alex Pretti in Minneapolis—broke with many in his party.”
News coverage links his withdrawal to heightened scrutiny of federal immigration tactics and to public outrage after videos and reports emerged about the Pretti shooting at a Minneapolis protest.
Several sources say those incidents convinced Madel, who had campaigned as a law‑and‑order candidate, that the operation had exceeded its mandate.
Critique of ICE and DHS
In his remarks and in reporting that quotes him, Madel condemned specific ICE and DHS practices. He said it is wrong that U.S. citizens 'feel they must carry papers to prove citizenship' and criticized home raids on civil warrants as unconstitutional.
He argued that people of color have been improperly targeted, using phrases like 'driving while Hispanic' or 'driving while Asian' to underscore racial profiling. Outlets across regions reproduced those claims, with some emphasizing Madel's moral and constitutional critique and others placing it within the political calculation about electability in Democratic-leaning Minnesota.
Minnesota GOP race update
Madel's departure reshuffles the Republican contest in Minnesota.
“Madel’s exit narrows a crowded Republican field that includes Mike Lindell, House Speaker Lisa Demuth and Dr. Scott Jensen.”
Coverage notes other GOP contenders: Mike Lindell, Lisa Demuth, Scott Jensen, Kristin Robbins and former candidates.
Reports point to wider political fallout, including Sen. Amy Klobuchar filing paperwork to run and GOP debates over how federal enforcement affects statewide electability.
Some outlets emphasize the immediate narrowing of the field, while others link the exit to broader legal and political developments such as calls for joint federal-state probes and ongoing investigations related to federal deployments.